Only when he was sure that Carter Verone was really home Brian left his car that he'd been sitting in for the past 2 hours. Despite Walter's warnings he couldn't wait any longer. with every minute that passed the chance that Mia wouldn't come back became bigger.

So he found himself ringing the bell at the man's door, just like any visitor on a noce sunny California day.
"O'Conner, may I come in?"
Hopefully the man would at least speak to him eye to eye...open that damn door right out of Fort Knox to his million dollar mansion.

The woman that was moving towards the door quickly turned and headed back to Mr Verone's study, "There's a Mr O'Conner at the door" Carter lfted his head from the work load in front of him, and slolwy nodded his head, "Let him in" He stated but turned his gaze back to the work, crossing the t's and dotting the i's.

The older woman shuffered back towards the door quickly pulling it open. "Mr Verone will see you" She stated kindly and lead Brian towards the study in which Verone was sat in.

Carter waved his hand, dismissing the woaman, and with a final signiture of his name on the paper work in front of him he lifted his gaze to O'Conner, with a smile he gestured for him to sit, "This is becomeing a common occurence Mr O'Conner, what can i do for you" He questioned with a raised and slightly interested brow.

Brian followed the chubby lady to the study. his eyes carefully scanned the hallway and the other rooms they passed. No sign of Mia or anybody else.
The cop wanted to remain standing but sat down as he was told to.
"Verone." He paused.
"You told me to listen....I'm listening now...whatever you want from me, I don't care what it is...."
He held out his hands. "Tell me what you need or want from me. Anything." Brian was almost begging. it was pathetic.

Verone raised a brow, "All i want O'Conner is for you to leave me and my family alone" He smirked as he looked up at the other man, oh the look on his face was just priceless, he couldnt wait to see it when his pretty little nurse turned up dead.

"Now if you would kindly explain your presence at my home once again"

"I will...I will leave you alone." brian promised but when Cater played dumb once again he gritted his teeth.
"Just quit playing games. Why send me all these messages and then make no demands?"
He glared at him. Brian had no idea why in the world Carter had taken Mia.
"We both know that you have my wife. You can't keep her forever, if she turns up dead I'll make sure those pictures go public."Brian was ready to explode and jump across the desk at his throat to solve the situation but forced himself to stay calm for Mia's sake.
"Or you can exchange her for me and the pictures. You can drop me to the bottom of the ocean and all your problems are solved...but please let her go."

Carter rested his elobows on the desk in front of him, and his cold stealy eyes locked on the man opposite him. "Il give you something O'Conner your smart" He shook his head and chuckled deeply, "But unlike you i hold up my word" He stood , resting on the desk, his clear eyes locke on the man in front of him.

"And i promise to make you regret your time in Miami" Shaking his head he licked his lips, leaning forward ever so slightly. "But both of us have far to much to loose now" He shrugged one shoulder wathing Brian closer.

"I have it good mind to know Mia will turn up sooner or later" With a laugh he shook his head, "You shouldnt have took that job Brian, pitty your dear little wife if going to pay for it, she's pretty when she begs"

There it was. Finally Brian was sure who held Mia prisoner. The last doubt in his mind was gone together with his reasoning. When he heard Verone talk about hearing her beg pictures of Faye begging and geing torture came to his mind. If Verone had anybody else but Walter do this 'job' for him Mia was begging for real, suffering for real...possibly this very minute.
"What have you done to her? Where is she?" His head had turned bright red as he tried to push away his fear.
It took everything Brian had not to leash out and simply strangle the man in front of him with his own two hands.
Gritting his teeth he tried to remain calm but couldn't help his heartrate going up considerably. "Mia had nothing to so with what I did in Miami. She doesn't approve of my job. She's innocent."
He took another deep breath to calm down and stood up leaning his hands on the table in front of Verone.
"I'm the one you want. Here I am...take me...not her."
brian would never forgive himself if Mia would be injured or killed because of him. He would much rather take a bullett than living with that burden. Somehow he would survive and get out but Mia? Did she really stand a chance against a criminal like Carter, who hired thugs to do the dirty work?

Carter kept his face netural, despite the anger that was radiating of the man in front of him, oh he had known that Mia would have hit a sore spot,"I havent done anything to your wife" He stated, but he was more then sure Daniel had, more then once.

He waked around the desk and looked directly at Brian "But what better way then to make good on my promise" He smirked over at Brian, oh he did enjoy the look that was crossing his face, it made all of this worth it.

Brian was incredibly close to reaching out, grabbing him by the hair and slamming the mans face into his own desk just to wipe that sadistic satisfied look of his face.
Fists balled he stayed where he was, took an unnoticable but deep breath and bit his tounge for a moment looking away. His gaze fell upon a picture of Verone, his wife and kid on the wall. How could a man who had a family of his own do that to him and his kid.

When he had a grip on his emotions again he looked back up at the gangster boss. "What does it take to release her? Whatever it takes, money, my head, me working for you, FBI intel, whatever...our kid needs his mother. You understand that, right?"

For a moment Carter's gaze shifted over to the picture of the wall, Nina smileing, their little girl resting between them, with a shake of his head, het turned cold eyes back over to O'Conner, with a shake of his head he smirked.

"You'll have your wife back soon O'Conner" He stated, whether it was alive or dead, Carter had yet to decide, "Now leave"

Brian's pale blue eyes followed Carters gaze to the picuture and his next words made him feel like the guy was actually thinking like a human being. If he really was a man of his word he'd give Mia back.
hestitantly he took a step back.
"Can I see her once, please?"
His voice sounded ridiculously desperate.
"If you let her go you'll never hear of me again. You said you are a man, who keeps his word."

Carter looked over at Brian and shook his head, taking him to the one room in the house he knew wasnt bugged. He knew Brian would follow, more out of currosity then anything else. "You'll get your family the same time i get mine"

He stepped towards a computer in the middle of theroom, hit a few buttons and spun it around to show Brian. In it Mia was tied to a chair, she had stopped struggling, and her lip had finally stopped bleeding,with his gaze turned towards Brian he folded his arms over his chest.

"Like i said your wife is fine"

Brian followed verone slightly confused by his statement about his own family. Did anybody hold his wife hostage? he didn't bother to ask as his focus was suddenly on the monitor in front of him.
The feeling he got when he saw Mia bound but alive was indescribable. HIs heart skipped at least two beats and his fingers started shaking.
"Is this life?" he asked. Carter could have taped her just to keep Brian off his back for a while.
In the picture Mia was still, she didn't move but Brian could see her chest rise and fall.
How much did he want to touch her and hold her right now.

"Who's got your wife?"

Carter turned his gaze over to Brian and nodded his head, "It's live" He stated cooly, he moved to sit behind the desk and draw out a peice of paper, with a deep breath he contenplated on if he should even consider doing what he was doing, shaking his head he sighed and slid the paper over to Brian.

"Name, location, his name is shadow" With a sigh he shook his head, "Allow my next drop to go ahead, you get your wife, and i get mine" Standing he sighed, "You think im pulling the strings im not"

The piece of paper in his hand felt unreal. Was this really happening? Carter Verone was handing him the name and location of whoever was pulling the strings. He looked up at the man in slight confusion.
"You're serious about this." Obviously his own family was in danger...pretty much the only thing the guy seemed to be caring about. maybe that's why he hadn't harmed Mia more than he did. a busted lip wasn't so bad.
"Does he have a real name? So if I make sure your next 'job' gets done, you'll let Mia go? What if this shadow guy doesn't let your wife go? And after that job...can I take him down?"
His mind was going a mile a minute...this would mean he had to make sure Walter was really going through with his hole mission and didn't fuck up anywhere along the way endangering Mia.
Without further hesitation Brian nodded to confirm that he was on board...silently hoping that his boss, who was listening in on the wire he was wearing, would approve. Initially brian had just aimed to get a confession to get a search warrant for all of Verone's premises but Verone's word to get Mia back somehow seemed more valuable.

Carter rose an unimpressed eye, "The offer doesnt come a second time O'Conner" He stated with a shake of his head, annoyance dancing behind sparkling blue eyes. He gestured for the paper, "Everything i know you know" And in relation to where his wife was, or how she was, well Brian had one up on him there, all he had wanted was to carrying on his operations, and it had been going fine until he had shown up, runined everything.

With a deep breath he lowered himself down to the chair, "If he doesnt let my family go" That was the thing Carter didnt want to think about, but so far things had been okay, "Do what you need to"

It felt very strange receiving orders from Verone and even worse: Taking them.
nevertheless it was Brians best shot at seeing Mia unharmed. If it meant crossing over to the dark side for a while he would do it...whatever it took to get her back. Carter had thrown him a bone, what other option did he have.
"Okay." He replied slipping the piece of paper in his pocket.
"When is that next job going to go down? So I don't accidentally come crashing in on it."

Carter looked up at 'O'Conner, this week" He stated, "Saturday, first thing" He shook his head, "And i have no idea what there gonna be carrying" He stated with a shake of his head.

"Okay." brian repeated. "You said you are a man who sticks to his word. Plus there's a lot at stake for you...and me. I trust your word."
Brian didn't beleive he had actually siad that.
One more glance at Mia's picture on the screen and left the room. It took a lot of gutt to walk away from this room and leave her behind but it was his best shot.


Outside he drove around the block where the FBI surveilance van followed him to the FBI building.

In his boss' office they listened to the conversation once more.
"I got my confession...but I think I'd rather wait until this Saturday to go and search for her. I trust he's going to let her go...he knows what its like."
Brian looked up at his bosses frown.

He hated the idea of a 'drop' especially one they didnt know what was in, looking up at Brian he sighed and he nodded his head,

"You have until Saturday O'Conner" He stated, "Then we take both of them down"